Game Controls and Interface

Form follows function.

Louis Henri Sullivan

Design a clear and simple interface. The primary task of the interface is to present the player with a choice of the available actions at each moment and to provide instant feedback when the player makes a choice.

Jordan Mechner

Next Generation Magazine, January 1997

Make the interaction natural, so you press the right key or move the joystick without even thinking.

Fernando Herrera

K-Power Magazine, April 1984

The simpler you can make the control of the game, the more playable it is.

Dave Jones

Compute Magazine, January 1992

Don't ever take control away from the joypad/keyboard unless you really want to piss off the player. When you press jump, make him jump. Fight animators or anyone else who tries to get you to do anything else. Instant response is key.

Dave Perry (Adapted)

Next Generation Magazine, January 1997

If a player has to take his mind off your game to think about the controls, the illusion is lost, concentration is broken, and you have lost your player.

Duane Alan Hahn

To me there are two kinds of impossible games. There's the kind where the skill level is just beyond my meager skills, and there's the kind that's artificially difficult because of bad design or controls.

Joe Santulli from Digital Press